Realignment, new division names and more football conference games are coming to the Big Ten Conference over the next few years, ESPN.com reported Friday.

The league is scrapping the unpopular Legends and Leaders names and replacing them with East and West, according to the report. That change will take effect at the start of the 2014-15 academic year.

Also, the conference will return to a nine-game football schedule beginning in 2016. Schools currently play eight conference games.

Big Ten presidents and chancellors are expected to approve the changes soon. Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez told CBSSports.com that the conference schedule vote could happen as early as next week. ESPN.com reported a similar timeline for all the changes.

Under the reported new divisional alignment, Purdue, which is in the Eastern time zone, would join the six schools in the Central time zone to form the West. Rutgers and Maryland would be placed in the East when they join the conference in '14.

Purdue and Indiana will continue play each other in football every year, according to the report.